Add Debbie Macomber's A Walk Along the Beach to Your Summer Reading List

...from the publisher...
The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.
Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.

Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk. 

Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.

...my thoughts...
Gorgeous cover, delightful scenery and Debbie Macomber...three things to entice a reader to check out the story between the covers.  I enjoyed this book for many reasons, not the least of which is how family dynamics come into play.  This could be any family who has had grief come uninvited to the table.  Willa quickly cast off the role of big sister to Harper when their mother died.  Their father was unavailable and their brother left home to join the service.  Willa quickly stepped up to fill the gaps to be everyone and everything to her sister.  Harper, having survived a devastating illness, took charge of her health and broke some hearts along the way.  Now, she feels, it is time for Willa to take a look at relaxing enough to find love. After all, her sister gave up so much to take care of her and it was past time for Willa to really live.

Sean O'Malley caught Harper's eye as being a perfect match for Willa.  Unable to think of herself beyond running her business, Willa has no designs on Sean.  Harper is an incorrigible matchmaker, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Except, life has a way of tossing a curve ball and the story has a few balls that are tossed in the air to make things interesting. 

There are many ways this story could have gone.  The characters are in no way one dimensional.  I laughed and I cried when I read this book.  When it gets down to it, if a book has just part of a character the reader can identify with, it is a good study of human nature.  This is a love story, yet not just romantic love, although it is definitely a romance, but the love of family is central to the theme and it is very refreshing. A Walk Along The Beach will fill your heart as it entertains you.  I heartily recommend this book.  I received an advanced reader copy for an honest review, but all opinions are mine.

Pelican Point Beckons Your Return to Hope Harbor

publisher's notes...

A crumbling lighthouse is not part of the inheritance Army doctor Ben Garrison expects to claim when he journeys to Hope Harbor. Fresh out of the service, he wants only to unload the tower of bricks, decompress from years of treating battlefield trauma, and prepare to launch his civilian career.

Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber has other ideas. She may not be a Hope Harbor native, but the small Oregon seaside town has become home--and she's determined to save the Pelican Point landmark.

Sparks fly as the two go head to head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. And as they work together, might Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls.

Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites readers back to their favorite town for a story that will light a beacon of hope within their hearts.

my thoughts...

I looked forward to this book for many months and it lived up to my expectations.  It took me back to the coastal town of Hope Harbor and many of the characters I loved in the first two books of the series.  

Although they got off on the wrong foot, newcomers Ben Garrison and Marci Weber fit right into the small community.  Both of them had plans that didn't include a romance yet they continued to connect on many levels, especially when it came to the Pelican Point Lighthouse. Pelican Point, a landmark that was slated to be purchased by a wealthy developer  was probably going to be demolished in favor of a sprawling development.

Irene Hannon is a master when it comes to character development.  She takes on challenging issues and shows us how a little faith can make a big impact on the lives of those she intertwines within the story.  Greg is a young, disabled veteran who moved back to Hope Harbor with his wife Rachel.  Bitter after an I.E.D. attack took his leg, it seems as though life couldn't get any worse for them.  For Rachel, life with Greg wasn't what she dreamed of when she left home to marry her handsome soldier.  

One constant in all the Hope Harbor books is Charley, Fish Taco stand owner extraordinaire.  He silently observes everything about the community and is a quiet force who makes his customers think of things that may seem unconnected, yet as they walk away his wisdom radiates.  If I have to have a favorite character, it has to be Charley because he seems to be that still, small voice we often hear when we aren't ready to listen.  Even though I don't eat fish tacos I would willingly try one just to meet Charley. 

Best selling author Irene Hannon is a three-time RITA Award Winner. If you have  ever read her books you know why.  Whether it is the coastal Hope Harbor series or perhaps a thriller such as Dangerous Illusion in her Men of Valor series you will be hooked into the story right away and be looking for publication dates for the the next book in the series as you turn the last page.  

If you enjoy a good romance with a nice coastal village setting, this is for you.  I recommend this book with 5 stars as the Oregon Coast beckons within the pages, and you will almost hear the seagulls calling.

Sunday Review: Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason

Have you ever felt like you were right there in the midst of the story? Award winning author Lynette Eason is one of those writers who can draw the reader into the pages.  Chasing Secrets, fourth book of the Elite Guardian series is one of those books that will take you on a suspenseful ride page after page. 

Haley Callaghan, an Elite Guardian bodyguard finds herself in the middle of  a cold case tracing back to her roots in Ireland.  Bits and pieces of her childhood unfold as she finds herself in the middle of a deadly plot and she is the target. Drawing on all her resources, she intends to find whoever is at the center of this intrigue and why.

Detective Steven Rothwell is not going to sit idly by and let her take this on her own. Even though Haley is a force to be reckoned with on her own, there is a deadly force encroaching on her. There are too many close calls in this case, endangering her life and the lives of people she swore to protect.

In true Eason style, she wraps this puzzle into a neat package of suspense, mystery and romance. If you enjoy suspenseful novels this is a book you'll want to add to your collection. 

Reviewing: What Matters Most

Once again Kellie Coates Gilbert tackles a difficult subject in her writing. What Matters Most, book 4 of her Texas Gold series gives us a glimpse of the impact dementia has on the lives the family left behind to face devastating loss of love, income, and the intricacies of managing the web of healthcare.

Leta Breckenridge was working toward a career as a landscape architect. Midway through college her mother is diagnosed with dementia and can no longer care for herself. This forces a new path that has Leta dropping out of school and working two jobs and supporting her mother's mounting costs in an assisted living facility.  She barely has enough to keep her bills paid and juggle the payments for her mother's care. The anguish of providing the best care possible for her mother is the driving force behind her life of work, work and look for more work!

This book is compelling in giving us information on a disease we continue to learn more about.  Nathan Emerson, the man who Leta meets and falls for is a renowned research doctor who has made inroads to cognitive brain studies. He is also a candidate for governor of Texas. After Leta met Nathan, she is drawn to his work on dementia and is impressed with the work he plans to continue in this area as governor.

In a twist of fate she is offered a research job at a prestigious public relations firm.  It isn't long before she is assigned to a special project with the goal of derailing Nathan's campaign. Her company represents the incumbent, a man who has plenty to hide. Although her new job comes with a premium salary she is forced to make a choice between her values and keeping up the payments at her mother's care facility. The decision is a tough one that many in our society face today. It is difficult to leave loved ones in a care facility. In addition to the burden of providing the best care possible, much rides on knowing that the said facility lives up to its promised level of care.

In addition to a good story this book gives us look into the underbelly of political campaigns. What I saw was unexpected. We have seen how campaigns can get dirty and I don't like it. The taste for power drives some to incredible lengths. While this is a work of fiction, the author has written it well enough that I can imagine these things happening. Campaigns come and go and we read of things we would rather not see. Careers can be ruined with the click of a camera or stroke of a pen. The lengths the rival campaign goes to in the effort to win is astonishing.

After reading this story I feel compelled to see more disclosure on how our tax dollars are really spent when used for special programs. Are those little known accounts being used for what they are meant to be used for?

I was pleased to receive this book from Revell to read and review. It is much more than a Christian romance. It is a book that is well researched by a woman who loves to do her homework, no doubt honed by a successful legal career. I wasn't sure how she would tie all this book up into a neat ending but she delivered. If you are looking for a good book to read in this campaign season, pick up Kellie's book What Matters Most.

Romance Sizzles In Melody Carlson's All Summer Long

All Summer Long is one of those lighthearted books you enjoy reading when you want to kick the lazy days of summer into high gear.  It is a story about Tia and Leo, two people who met casually at a sailing camp ten years before our story begins. As everyone said goodbye on the last day of camp, Leo planted Tia with a kiss. Years later, with that kiss on her mind, Tia is moving to San Francisco to help her aunt open a boutique restaurant on a luxury yacht.

The excitement of playing a pivotal role restoring the yacht and designing the ultimate galley kitchen and dining room play on her mind as she arrives in San Francisco.  Instead of her aunt, a handsome young man is waiting to pick  her up. Not just any handsome man but an older version of the teenage boy who gave her that memorable kiss all those years ago.

As fate would have it, she and Leo will be thrown together often as they manage the work needed on the Pacific Pearl.  Her uncle's pressing need heart surgery and her aunt's natural desire to stay at his side compels the pair to work together to complete the work.

The work needed is significant but takes second place in the plot to Tia and Leo's story.  We can almost feel the fog roll in and the wave lapping on the side of the yacht, docked in the bay. The author, Melody Carlson is very adept at setting us right in the middle of the story.  From the start Tia enjoyed meeting Leo again, deciding that moving from northern Washington state was the best decision she'd made since graduating from culinary school.  The only bump on the road was Natalie, Leo's fiance.  Naturally, Tia is disappointed but can she work with Leo to oversee all the work needed to turn a 1980's remodel job gone bad into her aunt's vision of the Pacific Pearl?  Can she stand by and watch a man she is falling for marry another woman?  Even if the other woman has also become her friend?

 Read it and find out!  All Summer Long is another good book to add to your summer reading list. And if your vacation plans are on water, all the better to grab your copy of All Summer Long from your favorite local bookseller.  Melody Carlson is an award winning author of more than 200 books.  She was awarded a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market. All Summer Long is book 2 in her Follow Your Heart Series.  For information on Melody and her books check out her website at: http://www.melodycarlson.com

Keep Guessing with A Fool & His Monet

Sandra Orchard introduces Serena Jones, a young, vibrant FBI Art Crime Agent in A Fool & His Monet. When two paintings are discovered missing from the Forest Park Museum, Serena is quietly called to the scene by her friend Zoe David, head of security. Following renovations at the museum, Zoe isn't quite sure when the Monet and Rijckaert went missing so no publicity is the best publicity on this case.

As the story unfolds Serena is joined by  her Aunt Martha, an expert television crime show fan along with her mentor Tanner and apartment complex manager Nate. Red herrings surface along the way to the solution, but not before we meet Serena's mother, who is eager to marry her off before she gets killed in the line of duty and her father, a quiet college professor.  Dinner time is a hoot as they discuss cases, Serena's love life and Aunt Martha's tips to catch the thief!

No spoilers around here and there are a few, believe me.  I was intrigued how the author organized the crime and the extremes the criminal went to in order avoid being caught. What began as a seemingly easy heist lead to murder and mayhem that all seemed unrelated until Serena came on the scene.  All in all if you like mysteries, give this one a try. Good plot, fun characters and an author who does her research!  Sandra Orchard has another Serena Jones mystery in the works so be ready for another art crime caper.

Fiction Friday: Hope Harbor

It is no secret, I love the Oregon Coast. One look at this inviting cover and I knew a treat was waiting when I started turning pages. Irene Hannon is such a versatile writer that I am always intrigued when I see another book offered. All these things considered, I knew I had some good reading waiting when I hit the beach on vacation last week.

The story unfolds when widower Michael Hunter arrives in Hope Harbor only to find the one and only motel in town closed until further notice. A chance encounter with a food truck owner and a bitter old woman start a chain of events that keep Michael from driving to another coastal town for his sabbatical.

Tracy Campbell comes from a long line of cranberry growers who along with her uncle struggle to keep their legacy alive while other growers were selling out to big money growers.  She juggles her work on the farm and works late into the night with her CPA business.

Michael and Tracy met his first day in town. They got off on the wrong side of the curb so to speak when he walked into the street causing her to wreck her bike. Groceries ruined, and sporting a few bruises Tracy knew this menace too Hope Harbor was to be avoided at all costs.

The story has a way of weaving together many people who normally would not seek each other out.  The same people, once caught by these chance encounters find themselves breaking out on the edge of their comfort zones. God has a way of doing that to us when we need it most and the results are surprising.

Irene Hannon is a talented author who can make you fall in love with romance or sit on the edge of your seat with suspense filled drama. The surprises in the end are not in happy ever afters or who loves whom but how do all of these people connect and why does it matter?  Pick up a copy of Hope Harbor and find out!   You can purchase it any of your favorite online booksellers or try your local bookstore. This is one book that is a keeper because it has love, forgiveness and a whole lot of possibilities inside.